School start/end times are a great discussion for policy consideration, particularly if we're to be concerned about public health and public education outcomes. While there are practical reasons why school times start and end when they do -- including accommodating the work schedules of many, if not most working parents -- providing the most productive learning environment should be the first order for public schools. That ideal comprises lots of areas, but scheduling is certainly among them.
According to a new study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention which surveyed the start times of 8000 middle and high schools across the country, five out of six schools started before 8:30 a.m., which was too early according to the researchers. This piece in NPR reported that American Academy of Pediatrics recommended that middle and high schools start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. The goal is to accommodate the "natural sleep rhythms" of teenagers.
The report quotes Anne Wheaton, an epidemiologist and the lead research of the CDC report, as saying "other research suggests nearly two-thirds of young people are seriously sleep deprived. And that can lead in turn to obesity, depression, smoking, drinking, and lower grades. It can even be a contributing factor to car crashes for young drivers."
Read the piece on NPR here.
